Door closing and checking device



Dec. 17, 1935. c. NORTON v2,024,472

DOOR CLOSING AND CHECKING DEVICE Filed Jan. 18, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Dec. 17, 1935. c. NORTON 2,024,472

DOOR CLOSING AND CHECKING DEVICE Filed Jan. 18, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Dec. 17, 1935 rm or es DOOR CLOSING AND CHECKING DEVICE LewisG. Norton, Pasadena, Galifl, assignor to Norton Lasier Company, Chicago,111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 18, 1933, Serial No.652,283

1 Claim.

the elemental parts for the work to be done by each part and,

Secondly, the nature of the connecting mechanism, through which the,movements of the door and door closer are imparted to each other;

In regard to the first requirement, the closing and checking device mustbe of satisfactory design to give the desired control to the door, withrespect to the closing force, the closing movement, and the checkingaction of the dash pot. As door closing and checking devices of the typeherein illustrated have the closing spring and checking dash-potconnected for operationv from the same spindle, it is obvious that bothof these parts must be constructed to undergo co-related operationdetermined by the angular displacement of the operating spindle.

As to the second requirement, it is important to provide connectingmechanism designed to give the desired translated movement in accordancewith the following mechanical principles:

First, a satisfactory movement or displacement for each of the parts ofthe checking and closing device for the angular displacement of the doorthrough any particular are of swing from the closed position to theposition of maximum opening;

Secondly, proper mechanical advantage for all positions of the door sothat at any and all positions of the door the spring, which possesses apredetermined energy, depending upon the degree of compression, willexert the desired force on the door.

Thirdly, in connection with the combination of a door, a door closingand checking mechanism, and connecting means therefor, collectivelyconstituting a single machine, the selection of the various parts forcooperative relationship to produce maximum results in controlling thedoor and in providing a practical and nice appearing installation inpractice.

In addition to the above mechanical principles,

commercial practice demands that the installer,

tion be neat and of pleasing appearance with the avoidance of bulky,cumbersome or unsightly parts.

In view of the above considerations, it is an object of this inventionto provide a door check which is mounted in the door with its operatingspindle positioned in a predetermined desired relationship with respectto the hinge of the door and'with respect to the connecting mechanismfor the door whereby a new and improved control is provided, both as tothe spring power and the checking action.

A further object of this invention is to provide a door closer which ismounted in the door and which has connecting links which project out-Wardly substantially perpendicularly to the face of the door with thepoint of attachment to the door frame disposed in predeterminedrelationship to the spindle of the door check and the hinge of the doorand to thus provide an improved 2o control for the door.

A further object of this invention is to provide certain new andimproved structural characteristics whereby in combination with theconnecting links here employed, closing and checking mechanism of therequired shape and arrangement for installation within the limited spacein the door, is caused to impart, by the displacement of its parts inoperation, a closing and controlling movement suitable for relativelyheavy doors, which, prior to this inventiomcould only be controlled bymuch larger and more powerful mechanisms unsuited for installationwithin the limited confines of a door.

It is another object of this invention to provide door checking andclosing mechanism of the above described type which provides thegreatest checking power at the latch and which, due to the internalconstruction of the checking device, in combination with the connectinglinks employed and their relationship as assembled to the door and doorframe, will exerta greater checking force at the latch than woulddevices of similar size, but of a different construction.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a door closingdevice in combination with the connecting links which exerts a graduallydiminishing closing force for successive positions of the door fromclosed to open position. I

It is a further object of this invention to provide various details inconstruction which make for improvement in operation of the door closerand for advantages in manufacturing, assembling and installing theapparatus.

These and other objects not specifically enumerated are contemplated forthis invention as will readily appear to one skilled in the art as thefollowing description proceeds.

The following description will be made in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which.-

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of a door anddoor frame inconnection with which is mounted a door closing and checking deviceconstructed and installed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the upper edge of the door in which isinstalled a door closing and checking device of this invention and alsoshowing in dotted lines, the position of the connecting links when thedoor is opened;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal, sectional view in elevation, showing theinterior of the doorclosing and checking device of this invention;

Figure 4 is a plan view in cross section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure3 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3andlooking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a perspective exploded view of the parts constituting therack and piston disclosed in Figures 3 and 4.

Figure I is a modified form of piston construction.

Figures Band 9 are transverse sectional views taken on the lines 8-8 and99 respectively'of Figure 7 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

By referring to the drawings, it will "be noted that this invention isillustrated as embodied ina door check comprising a casing l0, thebottom portion of which is constructed to form a cylinder having itsopposite ends closed by screwthreaded plugs l2 and I3. Centrally ofthecasing in the upper wall thereof is a threaded opening H, in which ismounted the bearing part |5 for mounting the spindle H5. The bearingpart extends downwardly and provides a relatively long bearing surfacefor the spindle. The lower end of the spindle is mounted for rotation ina bearing pocket provided in the lower portion of the cylinder. Theupper end of'thespindle is provided with straight out sides l8, serving-.to fix the main arm l9, for connection with the door frame. The armisheld on the spindle by means of -a washer 20 secured by screw 2|.

The spindle is provided with an integral or fixedly attached gear 22,which is disposed within the cylinder for cooperation with a rack 23carried by the piston24. The piston is preferably of the constructionhere shown wherein it has two separable piston heads 25 and 28respectively. The head 25 is at the working end of the piston andis'positioned to slide within that portion of the cylinder disposed atthe left hand end as shown in the drawings. Piston head 25 is providedwith an opening 26 which is closed by a check valve 21, comprising aball held in place by a pin I28 whereby it freely passes checking fluidwhen moved away from the end of the cylinder as from left to right inthe drawings, or in that direction in-which it moves when the door isbeing opened. The piston head 28 has an unobstructed central opening 29therethrough for the purpose of freely passing fluid for a purposehereinafter described. 7

Casing I0 is provided with a longitudinal bore or duct 30 whichcommunicates by means of ducts 3| and 32 respectively, with the interiorof the checking cylinder. These ducts are positioned so as to providefor the passage under control of checking fluid for imparting generaland latch speeds for the door. The upper portion of the casing isprovided with a recess 33 and a plurality of threaded pockets 34 in thebase of said recess. These pockets communicate through their bottomswith their duct 30 and serve to accommodate the adjusting screws 35, andpacking glands 36. One adjusting screw is positioned to control theescapement of checking fluid through both the ducts 3| and 32 and theother is positioned to control the escapement of checking fluid throughduct 3| and it will be noted that each is provided with a V-shapedgroove 31, which may be disposed longitudinally or transversely of theduct 30 in the two extreme positions of adjustment.

Casing I0 is provided with extensions of wings 38 at its ends which areadapted to extend over sections of the door to serve as a mounting for20 the'door check in an opening 39, and provide attachment by means ofscrews 40 for securing the door check in place. It will be noted thatthe upper edge of the door checking device is flush with the upper edgeof the door and that the adjusting screws are disposed with their upperedges even with or below the upper edge of the door check.

Thepiston head 28 is in abutment with a compression spring 4| which ispreferably of a special construction and which has its opposite endabutted against the enclosing plug l3 for the cylinder. It will be notedthat the cylinder includes a cylinder portion 42 on the opposite side ofthe spindle from the piston 25 in which the piston head 28 operates.'This also forms in effect, a chamber in which the spring 4| i ispositioned.

The interior of the cylinder lsfllled with the usual checking fluidwhich may be introduced 40 through-a plugged opening 43. The door frame44 is provided with a cut-out portion 45 in which is mounted a plate 46by means of screws 41. This plate is equipped with a rivet 48 andstud'49 which serves as a pivot for the forearm which 45 is pivotallyattached as at 5| to the main arm'of the checking device.

In this connection, it should be noted that the stud 49 is riveted tothe plate 46 whereby its position cannot be altered and furthermore,that the 50 4 space which the upper portion of the spindle occupies whenthe door is closed is defined by the plate 46 whereby the position ofthe spindle l6 and the stud 49 is fixed in all cases and cannot bealtered by the installing mechanic.

The piston illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 respectively, is best shown inthe perspective exploded view in Figure 6. In this view, it will benoted that the head 25 is providedat its back end with a flanged stud 5|adapted for interlocking cooperation with the yokes 52 and 53 of the barand rack elements 54 and 55 respectively.

The bar and rack have similar yokes 52 and 53 for cooperation with aflanged stud 56 on the piston head 28. The two heads are made tofitnicely within the cylinder but the diameter of the rack and the bar areslightly smaller than the diameter of the piston heads. By means of thestud and yokes, the heads can turn freely in'the cylinder andtherebyassume the proper fitting positions in operation. This diminishesfrictional resistance and wear on the piston and'cylinder as otherwisemight occur. The construction issimple and very practical as there areno rivets or screws necessary in making up the piston. The 7 parts maymerely be .as'sembled as shown in Figure 6, and inserted into thecylinder.

The ball valve is o'f the usual construction whereas the hOIGiIl' fihEtail end head 28 is pro videdfor the purpose of allowing the liquid toflow freely when opening the door. Both heads are loose so as to be freeto 'rotate on the axis of the cylinder and also 'to tilt aorturns'idewise to relieve the tension of any frictional strains inoperation, Inotherwords, the bearing opening are slightly in thecooperating yokes 52 and 53 larger than the studs 5| and 56.

In Figure '7, a modified form of piston is shown which is more in theform of an integral piston but is assembled from separate parts. Herethe head 25 is of substantially the same construction as that previouslydescribed except that no stud 5| is formed thereon. Instead, a pluralityof slots 60 are provided in which projecting ends of the bar 54' andrack 55' are positioned and held by means of pins 6|. At the oppositeend the piston head 28' is likewise provided with slots 62 in which theends of the bar '54 and 55 are placed and secured. This forms in effect,a rigid piston but simplifies its manufacturing and assemblingoperations, and diminishes its cost.

Attention is called to the fact that by mounting the door check in thedoor, the axis of the door check spindle is moved inwardly whereby theeffective position of the door represented by the line connecting theaxis of the door hinge and the axis of the check spindle is disposedfurther inwardly toward the closed position than is possible withsurface door checks.

In addition, pivoted connecting arms are utilized with the main armextending substantially perpendicularly to the face of the door opening.This type of connection together with the location of the door checkpivot causes the greatest possible rotary movement of the spindle for agiven angular movement of the door.

It is on account of this construction that such effective control overthe door can be realized because for any angular displacement of thedoor a maximum movement of the door closing and checking parts iseffected. Furthermore, due to the disposition and the type of connectinglinks here illustrated, the rotary movement of the door check spindle isgreatest throughout that portion of the movement of the door approachingand receding from the latched position. This is highly important becausethe slightest opening movement of the 'door from the latch will effect asubstantial displacement of the piston whereby upon release, a good andeffective checking action is produced.

The arrangement and construction here illustrated also provides aconstantly shifting mechanical advantage so that the spring power actingon the door is diminished for successive positions from the closed tothe maximum open position. For instance, by way of illustration, apreferred installation will have a spring installed under initialcompression of say, one hundred pounds and designed to exert only onehundred and fifty pounds under maximum compression in operation. Withthis type of spring the power required to open the door at the latchwill be seven pounds, but from there on for successive angular positionsof the door to a position approaching the 180 position, the pull will besuccessively less, as six pounds, five pounds, and finally four pounds.In other words, though the door check is undergoing a movement of itsparts acting to compress the spring to increase its compression powerfrom one hundredto one hundred and' fifty pounds; the link'mechanism incombination with the leverage of the door and the mechanicalrelationships therebetween causes-the spring power acting onthe-door togradually diminish as the 5 power of compression of the springincreases. This is accomplished by the specially designed spring whichis made long and slender and of relatively-*fie-xible stock andpreferably of the c'rosssectional formation shown in the drawings. -10

It will be further noted that the forearm with the connecting links isnon-adjustable wherefore it must be installed in exactly the same mannerin all cases. ,Proper installation is also maintained by the fact thatthe plate 46, mounted in the door frame, provides space foraccommodating the'upper end of the spindle Wherefore the spindle and theforearm pivot must always be placed in the same relative positions. Thisautomatically makes the installation uniform and the operation of theclosers correct. The connection from the forearm to the plate must beeither on or in back of the dead centerline between the check spindleand the door hinge.

The two regulating screws are so formed as to provide a completeadjustment for only a limited movement of the screws. When the V-cut isin line with the duct, a maximum opening is provided whereas completestoppage is effected when the v is set across the duct. By having theopening V-shaped, a graduated adjustment between the two extremepositions is possible.

Over the checking cylinder is a reservoir containing extra liquid tosupply the cylinder as the liquid disappears in time. With the ordinarypiston, when you open the door, the piston pushes the liquid with greatforce up through the reservoir or chamber provided for liquid, andthereby Washes out any particles of foundry sand or chips that might bethere, carrying them directly to the regulating valves. This results inclogging and stopping the operation of the closer. This difi'iculty isobviated in the present invention on account of the hole 29 in thepiston head 28 which allows the liquid in the cylinder to flow freely 4.through this piston head without disturbing the liquid in the reservoir.If any particles of dirt are left in the reservoir or upper chamber ofthe door check they will remain there and will not wash into the valves.Keeping this liquid quiet prevents in a large measure, the liquidtending to go up the shaft with consequent leakage at this point.

The filling opening is provided in such position that after the closeris completely assembled it can then be filled with checking fluid withthe elimination of all the air without removing the piston. Toillustrate the relatively quiescent condition of the fluid in the upperchamber, this check has been successfully operated with the closing plugremoved and withoutthe motion of the piston tending to force the liquidout of the filling opening.

The present invention is not to be limited by the disclosure here givenas the scope thereof may be determined from the appended claim.

I claim:

For use with a door and a door frame, a door checking assemblycomprising a door closing and checking device carried by the door andhaving an operating spindle located substantially on the centerline ofthe thickness of said door, and projecting therefrom above the upperedge of said door, a pair of operating arms for said door checkcomprising a crank arm and a forearm, said crank arm being fixed to saidspindle so as to project substantially perpendicularly to the face ofsaid door when said door is in closed position, and said forearm beingpivotally attached at one end,'to

v the end of said crank arm, and at its opposite end to said door frameat a point beyond the centerline' 10 said bracket fixing and maintainingapproximately a predetermined relationship between the locations of saidforearm pivot and the closed door position of said door check spindle insuch manner as to produce substantially the maximum ratio between therotation of the door and the consequent rotation of the door checkspindle throughout that part of the movement of the door adjacent theclosed position thereof.

LEWIS C. NORTON.

